Trolley-signal.



No. 773,334. PATENTED OCT. 25,1904.

0. H. MORSE.

TROLLEY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED 83M. 21, 1903. N0 MODEL. s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

f e a g a: I

L Witnesses. c Fig Z Inventor.

PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

c. H. MORSE. TROLLEY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

no MQDEL.

Inventor.

Witnesses.

PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

0. H. MORSE.

TROLLEY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

Inventor.

UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT ()FFIGE.

TROLLEY-S IGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,334, dated October 25, 1904.

Application filed September 21, 1903. Serial No. 174,000. (NomodeL) To (LU who/1t itnmy concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. MORSE, of

Trolley-Signals, of which the following de scription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like'characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to trolley-signals, and has for its object to construct a novel form of signal apparatus especially adapted for block-signaling on double-track roads.

In accordance with this invention the car when passing a given point 'or signal-station sets the signal at said station to thus leave a signal set behind it and when passing the next signal-station restoressaid previouslyset signal and also sets the signal at said station, so that a signal is always set in rear of the moving car.

The invention also has for its object to pro- Vide a mechanical switch for the trolley-wheel which is adapted to disengage the trolleywheel from the wire whenever a car attempts to enter a block while the signal is set at such point.

Figure 1 shows in side elevation the signaling apparatus at one of the signal-stations, a part of the frame being broken away to expose the parts' behind it. Fig. Qis a plan view of the signaling apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of the signaling apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the electromagnet which forms one of the elements of the signaling apparatus. Fig. 5 is a detail of the switch for the trolley-wheel by means of which it is disengaged from the trolley-wire, and Fig. 6 is a diagram showing two complete Signalstations and the necessary circuits.

(0 represents the signal, which is herein represented as an incandescent electric lamp, and a is the circuit of said signal, which is herein shown as a wire leading from a circuit-contact pen a to the ground through a suitable resistance (0 The circuit-contact pen a forms one member of a circuit-closer, and the other member consists of a pin a, projecting laterally from an arm a, pivoted to or mounted upon a rod or bar a, which has its bearings in the side plates 6 Z) of the frame. The arm (0 projects upwardly from said rod or bar and is normally held by a spring a more or less removed from the circuit-contact pen a and is adapted to be moved into engagement with said pen a to close the signal-circuit.

v The arm a has a downward extension which is made as an arm a which projects toward and into close proximity to the trolley-wire c. The arm a, with its extension or arm a serves as the circuit-operating lever. It is designed and intended that the circuit-operating lever shall be operated mechanically by means controlled or operated by the trolleywheel, so that the circuit-closer will be operated and the signal set by a passing car. To this end atrolley-operated lever is provided, whichis herein shown as a long arm.

(Z, located essentially beneath the trolley-wire and pivoted at one end, as at (Z, to a suitable Support above the trolley-wire, the opposite or free end of said arm being bent or offset to extend above and over the trolley-wire and normally to rest by gravity on said Wire. As the trolley-wheel passes along the wire it will engage the lever (Z and raise it. The outer or free end of said lever (Z is disposed close to but in front of the extension or arm a of the circuit-operating lever, so that as the lever [Z is raised by the trolley-wheel the arm a will be engaged by said lever and will be moved to in turn move the arm a into engagement with the circuit-contact pen a and thereby close the signal-circuit and set the signal. When the circuit-closer is thus closed by the action of the trolley-wheel, the current is taken from the trolley-wire through the frame and adjacent parts, as the frame supporting the parts is mounted upon and connected with the trolley-wire, and passes ter is moved into engagement with the circuit-contact pen (02 to thereby lock said arm (1) in such position and maintain the signal circuit closed at this point and the signal set. In Fig. 1 the arms (Z5 and a are represented by dotted lines in the position they will occupy when moved by the trolley-operated lever to close the signal-circuit and set the signal. As soon as the trolley-wheel passes by the lever (Z the latter falls by gravity; but the circuit-operating lever a, (0 remains locked by the latch or arm 6.

To operate the latch or arm 6, so as to release the circuit-operating lever (Z5 (ZS, to in turn open the signal-circuit and restore the signal, the electromagnet a is energized, and when its armature is attracted the latch or arm (a will be lifted and the circuit-operating lever a (Z8 released. The circuit-operating lever immediately resumes its normal position when released. The electromagnet e is included in and operated by the restoringcircuit, which latter consists of a wire f, leading from a circuit-operating device which is located at each station to the eleetromagnet 0* of the next station in the rear of it, and the wire 7 connects said electromagnet with the wire a, which leads to the ground through the resistance (Z3. The circuit-operating device for the restoring-circuit f is made substantially the same as the circuit-operating device for the signal-circuit, comprising a circuit-contact pen g, located at one side of the Cll'Cult-COIIEEICU pen a, and a pin g, projecting laterally from an arm which is mounted for convenience upon the rod or bar (Z6 and controlled by a spring g and an extension or arm g, projecting downwardly into the path of engagement of the trolley-operated lever (Z. The arms g g are constructed the same as the arms (68, with the exception that the arm is made shorter than the arm a), and its extremity is not notched. henever the trolley-operated lever (Z is raised, the arm will be engaged and moved and the arm 9 correspoi'idingl y moved and the pin g borne by it moved into engagement with the circuit-contact pen r to thereby close the restoring-circuitf, and the electromagnet a, which, it will be understood, is located at the next station at the rear of the station above referred to, will be energized, the latch (a lifted, the circuit-operating lever a [6 released, the signal-circuit opened, and the signal restored or put out. Thus it will be seen that a car passing a signal-station moves the operatinglever (Z and not only sets the signal thereat, but also releases or puts out the signal at the station in rear of it.

It is designed and intended that should the car pass a signal-station when the signal at said station is set the trolley-wheel will be positively disengaged from the trolley-wire, and to accomplish this result a switch-plate n is provided which is constructed and arranged to throw the trolley-wheel ofli of the wire. and means are provided for directing the trolleywheel onto said switch-plate.

The switch-plate n is rigidly supported by the frame and is located close to the outer end of the lever (Z, so as to form a path or guide for the trolley-wheel in continuation of the lever (Z when the latter occupies its normal or lowermost position, and said switchplate is curved in the direction of its length, so as to direct the trolley-wheel away from the wire. In order that the trolley-operated lever (Z may be employed as the means of directing the trolley-wheel onto the switchplate, said lever is curved slightly, and means are provided for holding said lever fixed in its normal or lowermost position while the signal is set, so that instead of being lifted by the passing trolley-wheel it will remain fixed and will act to direct said trolley-wheel in a downward direction in order that it may pass onto the switch-plate as it leaves the le ver, and thereby be directed away from and out of engagement with the trolley-wire; otherwise the trolley-wheel Will not engage said switch-plate. As a simple means of locking the trolley-operated lever (Z in its normal or lowermost position a plate 71, is mounted loosely upon the rod or bar ("Z between the two circuit-operating levers, which when permitted will move into a position just above the end of the lever (Z, and thereby hold said lever down in its normal position. Normally, however, the plate It is held in a position more or less removed from the path of movement of the lever (Z, so that said lever is free to be lifted by the passing trolley-Wheel. The plate Z2, is held in its normal or elevated position against a stop It, as represented in Fig. 1, by the arm a engaging a laterallyprojecting pin it on one side of said plate, although the arm g also engages a laterally-projecting pin if on the opposite side of said plate; but said pin 71, merely serves as a stop for said arm g", as the spring which operates said arm g is not strong enough to lift the plate 71 As the lever (Z is raised by the passing trolley-wheel both of said arms will be engaged and moved to respectively close the signal-circuit and the restoring-circuit, and the plate ZL will be disengaged and will bear temporarily against the end of the lever (Z; but as soon as said lever d returns to its normal or lowermost position said plate will move by gravity to a position over the end of said lever (Z, as shown at the left, Fig. 6, and will engage the end of said lever and will positively hold said lever down. The plate It has a notch which receives the end of said lever (Z. The trolleyoperated lever (Z will thus be positively held in a position to direct the trolley-wheel onto the switcl1plate n. hen the electromagnet is energized and the circuit-operating lever a (68 released, the arm a of said lever on returning to its normal position Will strike the pin h on the plate It and will disengage said plate from the lever (Z and return it to its normal position. Thus the trolley-operated lever (Z will be released by means operated or controlled by the restoring-circuit, which is operated at the distant station, and will occupy a position to direct the trolley-wheel onto the switch-plate while the signal is set.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A block-signal apparatus having at each signal-station a signal, a circuit-operating device for setting it, a latch for locking said circuit-operating device with the signal set, an electromagnet for operating said latch to release said circuit-operating device, and a second circuit-operating device, a restoringcircuit connecting each two adjacent signalstations including said electromagnet at one end and said second circuit-operating device at the other end, and a trolley-operated lever at each signal-station for operating both circuit-operating devices thereat, substantially as described.

2. A block-signal apparatus having at each signal-station a signal, a circuit-operating device for setting it, a latch for locking said circuit-operating device with the signal set and an electromagnet for operating said latch to release said circuit-operating device, a restoring-circuit connecting each two adjacent signal-stations including the electromagnet of one of them, a circuit-operatingdevice at each signal-station for the restoring-circuit, and a trolley-operated lever at each signal-station for operating both circuit-operating devices thereat, substantially as described.

3. A signaling device, a trolley-operated lever for operating it, curved to direct the trolley-wheel away from the wire, and a locking device for said trolley-operated lever, substantially as described.

4:. A trolley-operated lever for operating a signaling device having its outer end curved in a direction away from the Wire to thereby direct the trolley-wheel away from the wire, a locking device for said lever and means for operating said locking device to lock the lever in position to direct the trolley-wheel away from the wire when the signal is set, and means for operating said locking device to release said lever, substantially as described.

5. A signaling device, a trolley-operated lever for operating it, a locking device for said trolley-operated lever, and means for disengaging the trolley-wheel from the wire whenever said lever is locked, substantially as described.

6. A trolley-operated lever for operating a signaling device, a locking device for said lever, and aswitch-plate located adjacent said lever for disengaging the trolley-wheel from the wire when said lever is locked, substantially as described.

7. A signaling device, a trolley-operated lever for operating it, a switch-plate located adjacent said lever for disengaging the trolley-wheel from the Wire, and a locking device for locking said lever in position to direct the trolley-Wheel onto said switch-plate, substantially as described.

8. A signal, a circuit-operating device for the circuit of said signal, comprising a circuitcloser and an operating-lever therefor, a trolley-operated lever for operating said circuitoperating device, a switch-plate located adja' cent said lever for disengaging the trolley- Wheel from the wire, and a locking device operated by said circuit-operating lever for locking said lever in position to direct the trolley-Wheel onto said switch-plate, substantially as described.

9. Asignaling device, a trolley-operated lever for operating it, a switch-plate located adjacent said lever for disengaging the trolley- Wheel from the wire, and a pivoted plate adapted to be moved into position to obstruct the movement of said lever to thereby direct the trolley-wheel onto said switch-plate, substantially as described.

10. A signal, a circuit-operating device therefor, a trolley-operated lever for operating said circuit-operating device, a switchplate located adjacent said lever for disengaging the trolley-wheel from the wire, and a pivoted plate operated by said circuit-operating device for locking said lever in position to direct the trolley-Wheel onto said switch-plate, substantially as described.

11. A trolley-operated lever for operating a signaling device, a locking device for said lever, a switch-plate located adjacent said lever for disengaging the trolley-wheel from the Wire when said lever is locked, andmeans for operating said locking device to release said lever, substantially as described.

12. A signaling device, a trolley-operated lever for operating it, a switch-plate located adjacent said lever for disengaging the trolley-Wheel from the Wire, a locking device for locking said lever in position to direct the trolley- Wheel onto said switch-plate, and means operated from a distant point for operating said locking device to release said lever, substantially as described.

13. A signal, a circuit-operating device for the circuit of said signal, a trolley-operated lever for operating said circuit-operating device, a restoring-circuit, and means for operating it, and means operated by said restoring-circuit for restoring the signal, a switchplate located adjacent said trolley-operated lever for disengaging the trolley-wheel from the wire, a locking device for locking said lever in position to direct the trolley-wheel onto said switch-plate, and means operated by the restoring-circuit for operating said locking device to release said lever, substantially as'described.

IIO

14. A trolley-operated lever, a switch-plate located adjacent thereto for disengaging the trolley-wheel from the wire, a locking device for locking said lever in position to direct the trolley-wheel onto said switch-plate, and means for operating said locking device to release saidlever,substantially as described.

15. A trolley-operated lever, aswiteh-plate located adjacent thereto for disengaging the trolley-wheel from the wire, a locking device for locking said lever in position to direct the trolley-wheel onto said switch-plate, the operation of which is controlled by said lever, and means operated from a distant point for operating said locking device to release said lever, substantially as described.

16. A trolley-operated lever, a switch-plate 

